KNIGHT WATCH

HOW ARE YOU FEELING - EMOTIONALLY?

2012-01-26T07:00:00-08:00

Happy people live longer. A study published in the Proceedings of the Academy of National Sciences asked 3,853 people ages 52-79 to record levels of happiness, anxiety and other emotions at 4 specific times during 1 day. Then the participants were divided into 3 groups depending on happiness levels. Five years later 7% in the unhappiest group had died compared to 4% in the happiest group and 5% in the middle group. When age, depression, disease, health behaviors and socioeconomic factors were controlled, the happiest and medium-happy participants were 35% and 25% less likely to have died. Hmmm, remember the “i” in happiness.

Lonely people sleep more restlessly. A study published in the journal Sleep asked 95 people how often they felt lack of companionship, left out or isolated and rated them on a loneliness scale. Then for 1 week the participants wore a wrist device to bed to record body movement and sleep disruption. Each one-point increase in the loneliness scale was associated with an 8% increase in restlessness and sleep disruption even when age, sex, body mass index, sleep apnea and negative emotion factors were controlled. Although loneliness didn’t influence sleep quality or daytime sleepiness, loneliness puts the bed in “bed-evil”.

People with high blood pressure have more difficulty recognizing emotions – happiness, sadness, fear, anger, etc. It’s a phenomenon called “emotional dampening”. In a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, 106 participants – average age 53 – were asked to evaluate emotional expressions in faces and sentences. After controlling for medications, BMI and mental state, those with high blood pressure scored lowest in the ability to recognize emotions. Scientists suspect emotional dampening is related to subtle changes in brain function. However, medication to lower blood pressure can correct the problem in time. The emotional dampening can be “dried up”.

People who are physically weighed down by heavy loads like shopping bags think more seriously. It seems the brain goes from physical weight to psychological weight. In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Behavior, 100 volunteers were divided into 2 groups. One group carried bags containing about 10 pounds of water bottles. The other carried bags containing empty water bottles. Later both groups were asked questions about the importance of expressing opinions publically, reading nutrition labels and being socially connected. The volunteers carrying the heavy bags thought those subjects were much more important. Obviously, they were “heavy thinkers”.

DO WE EACH HAVE A BODY OF EVIDENCE?

2012-01-24T07:00:00-08:00

There really is such a thing as “broken heart syndrome”. It occurs when sudden or prolonged stress – good or bad – triggers a rush of adrenalin and other stress hormones, causing the heart’s main pumping chamber to suddenly balloon. There are also dramatic changes in heart rhythm and blood substances typical of heart attacks. Fortunately, most victims recover within weeks; but women are 7 to 9 times likelier to experience broken heart syndrome than men. Perhaps this is because of hormones or because men have more adrenalin receptors on cells in their hearts – or perhaps women just take shocks “more to heart”.

Fifteen percent of people with type 2 diabetes aren’t fat. So says the National Institutes of Health. They have a condition called “TOFI” – thin outside, fat inside. Fat that usually builds up under the skin attaches to abdominal organs instead. Visceral fat is more dangerous because it can cause inflammatory substances to affect the liver and pancreas and lower insulin sensitivity, which increase type 2 diabetes risk. Regular workouts are the only way to lose visceral fat. Even moderate exercise causes muscles to absorb glucose at 20 times the normal rate. Hmmm, TOFI could also stand for “the other fat individuals”.

Earworm is the nickname for what psychologists call “involuntary musical imagery”. It’s the random snippet of a song or melody that pops into our minds and repeats over and over. Studies suggest 90% of people get earworms at least once a week. A study published in the journal Psychology of Music collected data from 604 people and was able to identify 4 main triggers for earworms: music exposure (the most common), memory triggers, emotional state of mind and low attention states. Unfortunately, a way to get rid of earworms wasn’t identified. Maybe scientists need a “worm’s-eye view” of the phenomenon.

Right-handers and left-handers tend to like more popular, familiar types of music, while mixed-handers (those who use their non-dominant hand for at least 2 activities) have broader musical tastes. That was the result of another study published in the journal Psychology of Music. Ninety-two college students completed hand-preference surveys and then rated how often they listened to 21 types of music and their enjoyment of them. The broader range of music enjoyed by mix-handers was attributed to their being more in touch with the right hemisphere of their brain, which updates thoughts and beliefs. Mixed-handers were more “hands-on”.

WHO'S WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES?

2012-01-21T07:00:00-08:00

Men aren’t as careful as women are on Facebook. Bitdefender, an anti-virus software company, surveyed 1,649 men and women in the U.S. and U.K. According to the findings, 35.8% of women accepted Facebook friend requests compared to 44.6% of men. Men were even likelier to accept if the profile was associated with the picture of an attractive woman. Twenty-five percent of men let their profiles be searched by strangers compared to 16% of women. Twenty-six percent of men were willing to share their location compared to 21.8% of women. It seems men online have more difficulty “drawing the line”.

Women have to be more careful than men about sugary drinks, such as soda and flavored water. That is because women need fewer calories to develop negative impacts. Research presented to the American Heart Association followed more than 4,000 men and women ages 45-84 for 5 years. During that time participants’ sugar-sweetened beverage intake, weight, waist circumference, cholesterol and diabetes markers were monitored. Women who drank 2 or more sugary drinks daily were 4 times more likely to develop high cholesterol and diabetes compared to women who drank 1 or less. Obviously, information about sugary drinks isn’t always “sweet talk”.

Women can get information about men from seeing how well men dance. In a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, 48 men ages 18-42 filled out personality questionnaires before being asked to dance to a drumbeat. The dance moves were then transferred onto featureless, computerized avatars so the 53 women ages 17-57 wouldn’t be influenced by the men’s looks. After watching 15-second clips the women judged the men’s dancing on a scale of 1 to 7. According to the scores, men with conscientious/agreeable personalities had better dance moves – giving new meaning to “putting the move on someone”.

Five million men and women have fibromyalgia and 90% of them are women. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by body-wide pain and tenderness in muscles and joints. A study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism looked at the sleep habits of 12,350 healthy women. After 10 years 2.6% developed fibromyalgia. However, women with sleep problems had higher risks – 3 times higher for women ages 20-44 and 5 times higher for women over 45. Because sleep problems are also associated with increased risk of heart disease and other chronic ailments, we need to “wake up to” the importance of sleep.

IS FOOD FOR THOUGHT HEALTH FOOD?

2012-01-19T07:00:00-08:00

Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of skin cancer – specifically, basal cell carcinoma. It’s the most common type of skin cancer, with nearly 1 million new, U.S. cases diagnosed yearly. A study presented to the American Association for Cancer Research analyzed data from 112,897 people who were followed over 23 years. Women who drank more than 3 cups of caffeinated coffee daily were 20% less likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than women who drank less than 1 cup monthly. Men were 9% less likely. When it comes to drinking coffee, it’s healthy to be “in your cups”.

However, drinking licorice-flavored coffee might not be a good idea for people over age 40. According to the Food and Drug Administration, black licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a chemical that can trigger a dangerous drop in potassium. When potassium is low, heart rhythms fluctuate and blood pressure can rise causing swelling, lethargy and even congestive heart failure. It seems eating 2 ounces daily for 2 weeks could result in hospitalization for heart arrhythmia. For people with high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease, as little as .18 ounce daily could cause health problems. Maybe licorice should be “blacklisted”.

Drinking alcohol is on the shouldn’t list for women because it increases the risk of breast cancer. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the drinking habits of more than 100,000 nurses. For those who had a drink daily the cancer risk increased from 2.8% to 3.5%. However, the risk is associated with longstanding habits – not drinking a lot over a few weeks or months. Also, there was no increased risk when less than 3 drinks were consumed weekly. Considering there’s evidence moderate drinking protects against heart disease, here’s less than 3 cheers weekly to our health!

Good health is more likely with a high-fiber diet. Fiber from whole grains has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. After analyzing 25 studies including nearly 2 million people, researchers found 90 grams (three and one-quarter ounces) of whole grains daily was associated with a 20% lower risk of colorectal cancer. Whole grains move food more quickly through the colon, reducing the colon’s toxic exposure. Because high-fiber diets have also been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and being overweight, perhaps we should think of whole grains as “whole life insurance”.